We Carry The Weight Together
by SONICgal
Summary: The recent events with the Korean ferry boat tragedy have affected South Korea greatly. It affected Korea as a whole, be it North or South. Yong Soo and Hyung Soo will share the pain. (The Koreas might be OOC, forgive me) America, being the hero he is, will come to the emotional rescue as well. (Chapter 3 coming soon)
1. You Have My Condolences

**We Carry the Weight Together**

_"Jwesonghamnida... yeoreobun... (I'm sorry... Everyone...)" _

Over 200 reported missing. As of now, 140 found dead... Drowned, lifeless, with broken fingers from struggling to live. Whole families at the shore, mourning, weeping, hopes and prayers broken by the truth.

South Korea, himself, felt more and more remorseful and stricken with grief. He saw it all, in brief visions, as he daydreamed, and as he slept. In his mind, he constantly wished he could have done something, but what could he have possibly done?

Being a country doesn't automatically imbue him with otherworldly powers. He couldn't teleport to the boat and warn everyone of the devastation that was to come. He couldn't smack some sense into the foolish captain, who must now live with the watered down blood of hundreds of people on his fingers. He couldn't tell the principal of those high school students, who were on board the ferry boat, that their casualties weren't his fault.

_ "Im Yong Soo... My name is Im Yong Soo and hopelessness originated from me, da-ze..." _

"South Korea, a special visitor has come to see you. I believe it is someone you know." His boss announced to him, bringing in a face, that if circumstances were different, he'd never associate with again. The boss left them so they could speak privately.

"_Dong-saeng (Brother)_, it has been quite a while since we last spoke." That voice, the one he buried deep in his mind...

_'Smile. You have to fake a smile, da-ze! They originated from Korea. MY Korea.' _Yong Soo told himself in his mind. He put on his best pseudo smile and replied. "Yeah, it has been... North Korea."

The mature, militant brother chuckled, for he saw through his facade. "Why do you feel the need to act, _dong-saeng_? I just wanted to speak in a colloquial manner with my brother. Is that so bad, Yong Soo?" North Korea said teasingly.

Face falling and anger festering, South Korea was more than offended. "_Shi-kkeu-reo-wo (Shut up)_, Hyung Soo!" He yelled in annoyance. "_Wae dangsin-i yeogie isseubnida?! (Why are you here?!) _Huh?_ Wae?! (Why?!)" _

Hyung Soo's demeanor became serious. "Brother... I know what happened. The ferry, the deaths, the-"

"Why do you care?" He interrupted bitterly. "Yes, Hyung Soo, I am your southern brother who, out of 200 missing people, 140 were found no longer living. Most of them were still so young... People groveled to _Hananim (God) _and prayed for his protection for their loved ones. My poor people..."

The normally humbler of the two was silent. He has never seen Im Yong Soo be this way before. The playful, ever boasting South Korea was depressed, frustrated. He couldn't say anything at that time. Whether it was from respect or shock, even he didn't know.

"That wretched captain... He originated from me, da-ze..." Yong Soo began, on the brink of tears. "Those people who passed away and their souls... They originated from me, da-ze..." One tear involuntarily fell. "And the principal who killed himself with feelings of false guilt... H-He originated from me, d-da-ze..." He couldn't hold it anymore. Sobbing, he dropped to his knees, not caring that the brother he despised saw him like this.

Hyung Soo, sympathetic and concerned, he knelt down and gently rubbed his back to comfort him. "Shh... _Gwen chan nayo (It's OK)_, brother." North Korea consoled. "I never got to say why I truly came here, _dong-saeng (brother)_."

With tears still running from his eyes, he looked up at his older, calmer brother. "Why are you here anyway, Hyung?" He questioned, confused at his brother and vulnerable due to the situation.

"Those who died... They may have been South Koreans, but they're still Koreans. People we share..." He said as he pet Yong Soo's hair softly. "I assume you saw it..." He said, knowing the one next to him in (gradually lessening)tears knew what he meant.

The 'younger' brother shuddered at the memory of his vision. The heartwrenching sadness... The tilted, and eventually flooded ferry boat... The fact that most of the survivors were adults, in lieu of the teens whose strict beliefs in respect for their elders led to their demise... _'If only they were as disobedient as America's teens...Then maybe...' _

South Korea was brought back to reality when his brother spoke. "It may mean nothing, Yong Soo, but..." Im Hyung Soo hugged him firmly, resting his head on his own shoulder. "You have my condolences. Our people... Koreans have taken a great loss. I share the pain you must be feeling."

_"Nan geuleongeo molla (I don't know about that), North Korea..."_

Still, the visit did help Im Yong Soo feel a bit better, and even if only by a slight amount, it settled his mind for the time being. Before the 'big' brother was to depart back to his half of the country, Yong Soo said "This won't be an everyday thing, but _kamsahamnida (thank you), _Hyung Soo."

Pleasantly surprised by those parting words, knowing their rough history with each other, his lips quirked into a small smile and simply said back "_Cheonmaneyo, dong-saeng. (You're welcome, brother.)_" They shared a brotherly embrace, conveying their 'thank you's and 'goodbye's. This was the first time in a long time that either brother felt a form of unity, despite it being caused by such an event.

Im Hyung Soo was ready to leave, feeling he accomplished what he desired to. South Korea, however, didn't want to end this temporary reunion so uncharacteristically. "Hey! Hyung! _Gi-da-ri-da! (Wait!)_" The 'older' one stopped and turned around, hearing the other's calls. "Don't forget! Another thing that existed in MY Korea is love, da-ze~!" Yong Soo exclaimed, grinning.

"Heh, and hate originated from my Korea." They smiled at each other. "My leader and I hate you." There wasn't true malice in those words. Yong Soo knew that.

"Aww~! _Na do sarang hae (I love you too)_, da-ze~!

He wasn't completely better. Of course, he wasn't. Nightmares still disturbed his sleep, haunting him with the images of the ferry boat tragedy. Of course, he couldn't sleep for long anyway. His cellphone started going off... South Korea looked at the time, 3:30 A.M.

_Who would call so late?_

* * *

**A.N. **Ooh! What could that ending mean? Eh, I kinda spoiled it in the summary. Yes, America will become involved as well. We'll see how that goes.

I hope this story's OK. I literally just thought of it today, when I learned more about the status of the Korean ferry boat tragedy. Those poor students... May that captain be damned to hell... :( Anyway, you can look it up, or I might be nice enough to elaborate on that situation.

Also, I'm not a fluent Korean speaker, so forgive me if I messed up at all. The funny thing about Im Hyung Soo's name is that "hyung" also means "big brother (for guys)". So when I had Yong Soo simply refer to him as "Hyung", I meant it as both his name and to say big brother.

Oh, and "Mixing Cultures" will be continued soon, so be excited. :)

Hope you guys like this!


	2. I'll Be There For You

**We Carry the Weight Together - Part 2**

"Y_eogi buteora _

_modu moyeora _

_We gon party like lilililalala-_"

The fast tempo K-Pop song ended abruptly. He had to remind himself to change his ringtone to something more appropriate for what he was going through. Not caring who it was who called, but still answering, he slid the 'answer call' panel on his smartphone (which was made in Korea, da-ze~!) and in a tired, straining to sound cheerful voice. "_Anyeongsaeyo? (Hello?) _Who is this?"

"Yong Soo! Bro, it's been forever! We need to talk!" That loud, boisterous voice could only belong to one particular person. It was obviously America, and despite his perpetually uplifting tone of voice, he wasn't necessarily happy himself.

While checking his e-mails on AOL (America Online), he saw the news story about the ferry boat on the home page. As a hero, it shattered his heart seeing the ratios of deaths to those who were missing to those who lived.

South Korea knew what topic his close blonde friend wanted to discuss, but he really didn't want to delve into that again. "Oh, hi, America. I'm sorry, but you caught me while I was sleeping... Can you call again later?" He said, feigning a positive tone. "After all, a good night's sleep originated in Korea, da-ze~!" He didn't want to be rude to him. It's not his fault any of this happened. _'Still, I wish you could have helped, America... You're a hero, aren't you...?'_

"Bro, I said you could call me 'Alfred' a while ago." Scolded Al. "Sorry, but we gotta talk now. Besides, it's 4:30 P.M. Why sleep with the sun still out?"

He obviously forgot about time zones in different places again. If it were any other period of time, Yong Soo would be amused. Still, trying to act like he was OK, Yong Soo replied "_Anyo_ (No), Al. It's 3:30 A.M. here, you silly." He chuckled, but it sounded a bit forced.

America, not joking around for once, caught South Korea's bravado. He didn't address it immediately, though. Not when his friend was in such a terrible situation. "Oh, yeah. Time is different over there, huh? Sorry, bro. Still, could ya stay up a bit longer? I really wanna talk. "

The Korean sighed. He really did just want to sleep, but America was so persistent. '_This American is gonna be the death of me... I do appreciate how much he cares, though._' He shows the smallest of smiles, even though America can't see it. "OK, Alfred. But mind you... This is a very soft subject for me. Understand?"

"Yeah, man. I understand." He made sure to maintain a serious attitude. This was not the time to act stupid or oblivious. He had to be a hero and be here for Yong Soo. With that thought in mind, he started talking. "I'd heard about the news this morning... It's not even my country, but I felt devastated." Sincerity was in his voice. He really did feel grief for South Korea and remorse for his inability to have done anything at the time. "I really sorry, Yong Soo. I couldn't save those people for you."

Im Yong Soo was surprised. America was blaming himself? "Alfred... It's not your fault. How could you have helped? I didn't even know it would happen until I saw it." He cringed as he remembered the horrific and hopeless things he saw in his vision.

"'cause, Yong Soo... I'm supposed to be the hero of the world. If I could, I'd save everyone. But..." Alfred's voice wavered a bit. "I didn't even know what was going on 'til this morning. I failed you, man." On his side of the call, Alfred had a very sorrowful and guilty expression on his face. He was really glad his friend couldn't see him.

"Al, unless you were there, you couldn't have known. Please don't feel bad, _je chingu_  
(my friend)." It broke the Korean's heart to hear Alfred verbally beating himself up. "Besides, I'm sure you have your own problems in America. We all have our limitations." He tried to console the American. He was about to offer more words of consolation, but he suddenly gasped. His eyes shut tightly and he winces as he has another vision.

More lifeless bodies. The death count rising and the missing count slowly decreasing. The scouters and searchers growing more traumatized. They're definitely going to need psychological therapy. The ratio of adults who survived and teens who survived is still frighteningly imbalanced. More families are in tears, for their prayers were forsaken. The captain of the ferry was arrested, but not put to death, as many probably wanted him to. A teenage corpse was found with one of his eyes rotting away. The whole thing... was truly a living nightmare. No mild horror movie scare could compare to this...

Yong Soo was silent for a long time, but he didn't hang up his phone, leaving a confused and worried Alfred on the other side of the line. "Yong Soo? South Korea? You still there, buddy? If you are, please say something!" He was scared for Yong Soo, but he still had to be brave. For the both of them.

As he heard Alfred's voice, he was jogged out of his trance. "Aah! No!" He yelled as if he'd woken from a bad dream. "Huh?" He blinked for a moment. '_Hananim (God), things just keep getting worse... Will my country ever be the same?_' He took a deep breath and tried to speak again, his voice trembling slightly. "I'm still here, Alfred. I'm... I'm OK." He wasn't even close to being OK. The sights he'd seen brought him to the verge of crying.

"You saw something, didn't you? Was it a vision? Dude, tell me what's going on." Alfred felt really useless right now. Yong Soo was obviously suffering so much. Then, the blonde American decided something. "Yong Soo, I'm coming there tomorrow. Obama will probably lend me one of his private jets." He'll be there. For real. Not just voices. A country's entity meeting another country's entity. They had to speak in person. They just had to, America thought.

"Eh? Al, you don't have to do that." He was touched that Alfred cared so much, but he was starting to feel like a burden. Even his brother came the previous day to offer his condolences. That brought a negative thought to mind. '_Dong saeng Ilbon (Brother Japan), Hong Kong, Jung-Guk Oppa (Big brother China)... Where are you all? What are you doing? Why haven't I heard from you guys...?_' He speculated that they were staying out of this matter, despite how much he needed his family. He didn't want to think that they abandoned him, though, so he put that thought in the back of his mind.

"Nah, man. I'm going over there, so don't even try to stop me." This was now a personal mission for America. As hero of the world and a very good friend to Yong Soo, who would never even entertain the thought of abandoning him. On the side, he felt... something. It was another motivation for him to go to South Korea. He didn't know what the feeling was exactly, but he just wanted to hug and protect Yong Soo. He wanted to be Yong Soo's personal savior and for him to rely on him when the going gets rough.

Yong Soo heard the determination in his close friend's voice. If it were any other time, he would have smiled brightly and welcomed him with open arms. Still, in spite of feeling grief-stricken and bitter, he knew he needed the company. Especially of America. "_Miguk_ (America)... _Kamsahamnida_ (Thank you)."

Having some Korean citizens in his states has given him the advantage of knowing some of the language. He liked the way it sounded when Yong Soo spoke in his native language. Though he knew that the brunette was pretty good at speaking English, thanks to his brother, Canada (He's a bit jealous of that fact.), Alfred simply thought his friend sounded better in Korean. He appreciates Yong Soo's effort to make communication easier. Not all of the other countries were so eager to learn English (The European countries especially.). "_Gwen chan nayo_ (No problem), buddy."

Yong Soo was a bit impressed. There wasn't much of an error in his friend's Korean. He felt a little better. More than when his brother came to talk. "Heh, been practicing your Korean, I see? Well, the great language originated from me, da-ze~." He didn't pridefully shout the phrase, like he would when he was in a better mood. Even so, just saying it was a good sign that he was being brought out of his pain. ...Or at least, distracted from it.

Alfred was relieved to hear Yong Soo perk up a little from his depression. "Ha ha, yeah. A little. Anyway, I know it's late over there, so I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?" He'd have to arrange the jet flight in the morning. He knew that the mood over in South Korea must be dreadful and haunting in its current state, but he had to do this. If God must forsake Im Yong Soo, then Alfred will be his salvation.

"OK, see you tomorrow. _Anyeong-hi jumusaeyo_ (Good night), America." He hung up his smartphone and put it back on his nightstand. With his mind settled a bit, Yong Soo hoped that when he went into deep sleep, he wouldn't have nightmares. He settled down in his bed again and tried to go back to sleep.

When America noticed that South Korea hung up the phone. He looked at his phone, where his dear friend's voice emerged. He kissed it and held it towards his chest, where his heart would be and said "Good night, Yong Soo. Tomorrow... I'll be there for you. _I'm your hero._"

* * *

**AN**: Hey! Guess who's back? I'm so sorry that it took so long to update, but I've been either too busy or too sick. I got sick a lot recently. ;_; Ah, well. I'm better now. Also I'm very glad summer's coming. I'll have even more time to write stories and such. So the wait won't be as long. :D Anyway, yay! America comes to the rescue! We'll see what happens soon.

Quick question: Should I change the rating to **M**? 'cause of the kinda gruesome descriptions of the tragedy.

Oh, and Yong Soo's inappropriate ringtone is "Fantastic Baby" by the K-Pop group, BIGBANG.

Anyway, I hope you guys like this.


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